“It’s a lot easier probably to coach and deal with a player you traded for rather than one that you gave a number one choice for,” Madden told the KCBS morning crew, noting the draft is often a gamble. “Everything that you’re doing is really a guess. I mean, you call it a projection, but a projection is really a guess. You’re looking at a player and you don’t know exactly what he’s coached to do, and you’re evaluating him as a college player. But the most important part is you’re projecting how he’ll be as a pro, (and) that’s the guessing part. Sometimes there are guys that haven’t been great college players that turn into being great pro players. Conversely, there are a lot of guys that were great college players and they’re not good pro players.”

Jenkins and Baldwin may have dropped too many passes, but Madden said that’s a problem that can be fixed.

“I don’t think you would trade or give up on a guy just because he couldn’t hold onto the ball,” John said. “(Former Raiders star receiver) Cliff Branch couldn’t hold onto the ball… Remember Jerry Rice? Jerry Rice had problems with the oops… Patience is a virtue.” (7:35)

Daily Madden

Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.

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John Madden

John Madden began his pro football coaching career in 1967 as the Oakland Raiders' linebackers coach. After two seasons, he was elevated to head coach. At 32 years of age when he was hired, he became the youngest head coach in the American Footba...